It has been long accepted practice to treat a variety of vascular disorders in a surgical procedure that involves placement of a vascular graft in a patient's vascular system. The construction and characteristic of the graft typically will be adapted to optimize its use in the specific surgical environment and condition to be treated and, accordingly, a number of different types of grafts are available. Among the most common types of vascular grafts are those formed from a woven or knitted tubular fabric as well as non-fabric tubes such as expanded polytetrafluoroethylene. Such grafts typically are placed in a patient's vascular system in a highly invasive surgical procedure. In general, the complexity of the surgical procedure required to place the graft will depend on many factors, including the location and surgical accessibility of the portion of the patient's vasculature where the graft is to be placed.
Not all vascular conditions in which it would be desirable to-place a graft can be so treated. Among the particularly troublesome medical conditions in which it is desirable to place a graft is that of an abdominal aortic aneurysm, in which a portion of the patient's aorta, the major artery carrying blood from the heart, has developed a weakened wall such that the weakened portion will tend to expand under the influence of the patient's blood pressure. An aortic aneurysm presents a life threatening risk that the aneurysm may burst causing massive internal bleeding. Treatment of the condition typically has involved deeply invasive abdominal surgery in which the patient's abdominal cavity is opened to reach and expose the aortic aneurysm. While maintaining the patient on an independent life support system, the region of the aneurysm is incised lengthwise to enable insertion of the graft into the aorta to span the weakened region and define a structurally tubular flow path between the remaining healthy portions of the aorta. The graft so positioned then is sutured in place. The graft thus serves as a reinforcing liner for the weakened portion of the aorta. Such surgical procedures have been characterized by a relatively high mortality and morbidity rate. Typically, patients suffering from the condition are elderly and are less able to survive the rigors of major abdominal surgery. Additionally, there is a substantial degree of risk when the abdominal cavity is opened because the confining pressure of other abdominal organs on the aorta is released. In some cases, the abdominal wall in the region of the aneurysm is so weak that upon release of the confining pressure, the aneurysm bursts with resulting immediate massive hemorrhaging.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide an apparatus, system and technique for placement of a graft, such as, but not limited to, placement in the abdominal aortic region, with a less invasive procedure that presents less risk to the patient. It is among the general objects of the invention to provide such a system.